Today was the first time my outfit(s) were chosen on the same day I wore them. We were busy most of the day yesterday, and it was bedtime before I remembered Rosie hadn’t selected the next day’s clothes. But though I’m impressed at the speed with which Rosie is able to pick out (some pretty stellar) ensembles, we’re talking about the clothes I’m going to wear in public, where other people are, so rushing through the process wasn’t my preference. It’s been warm here lately, and I really didn’t want to end up in the Myrtle Beach tank top I bought for fun from the Goodwill and a pair of paint-splattered yoga pants, just because they were closest to the top of the drawer. Especially since on Sundays, we tart ourselves up a little and go to church.

For some reason, with every article of clothing she handed me this morning, Rosie got more and more giddy, like she was wrapping a Christmas present while unwrapping it at the same time. Initially she chose some peep-toe heels I’ve been meaning to get rid of, but luckily she saw during the try-on round how, uh, different they looked with tights and decided a swap out was in order. So I got … closed-toe heels instead. With mustard tights. And a much-patterned dress. And a grey and white striped cardigan, a turquoise necklace, and big blue earrings (that unfortunately you can’t see here)—a Mother’s Day present from my young stylist herself.

Before I walked over to the mirror, I thought, “That’s it, the jig is up. We’ve officially crossed over from Kinda Fun and Funky to Straight Up Weird.” And then I saw my reflection, and for the fifth day in a row thought, “Well, I’ll be dadgummed.”

Rosie says:

“My favorite part is the sweater—I just think white and grey look good together with other clothes. It’s just the kind of outfit I like for church. It’s like the outfit you wear, but I put a little more things in it. [Ed. note: I’ve been known to wear this dress/tights combo before, but not with these shoes or with that cardigan] And I like the earrings I picked out because you almost never wear them! [Ed. note: My bad. But to be fair, I wear the same earrings for months at a time.] I like all these colors together, they’re really good.”

I mean, you’re not going to see this on any Banana Republic mannequins anytime soon, but I really liked it. It was another example of an outfit that felt like me at the core with enough Rosie flair on top to make it totally different.

Today was actually a two-fer, because after church we had a block party, so I asked Rosie to pick out another set of clothes for me to change into. The shirt I wore on Friday was back in the drawer again, and she didn’t hesitate before flinging it at me.

“You want me to wear the same shirt I wore on Friday?” I asked.

“Yep.”

“You like it that much, huh?”

“Uh, mom. It’s yourfavorite.”

Well then.

We had a brief conversation about wearing something a lot of times, and whether she thought you could wear things too many times. She seemed to think it was preposterous to even consider not wearing something that was your favorite if A.) you wanted to and B.) it was clean. (If you’ve known Rosie for a while, you might remember her most beloved and well-worn Owl Hat, a true illustration of wearing a thing you cherish when you want to.)

Rosie says:

“It’s OK, because If it’s clean, and you don’t have to wash it again, then you can wear it. Some people might want you to wear different clothes every day. But I do what I do and I am what I am. I just pick out my clothes because I pick out my clothes. It doesn’t matter! If you wore different clothes every day, then some people might not see the ones that are your favorite.”

That’s actually a pretty insightful point, there, Popeye. Wear your favorites, and then wear them again. And then, heck, wear them another time. They are your favorites, after all.